Editor's Note: It's true that office parties of any type and theme can reveal a lot about the organization and its culture. Jacque Vilet shares a few enlightening examples in this December Classic!
I’ve attended my share of company Christmas parties --- my employers’ and as a guest at other parties. There were some that I really enjoyed, some that made me uncomfortable and a few that were downright miserable.
It was not until a few years ago that I realized something. You can tell a lot about a company’s culture by its Christmas party. I became aware of this because one year there were two parties at the same hotel on the same floor --- and I was familiar with both companies. The difference between these two parties was striking.
One company, known for its sophisticated image, was having a formal party with a live band and sit down dinner. The women wore floor-length dresses and the men wore tuxes. Very formal and very . . . proper.
The other company was well known for its family oriented image. Entire families attended. There was face-painting, Santa Claus with a professional photographer, a present for each child, clowns handing out balloons and snack food. There was dancing in the ballroom and everyone --- men, women and children --- danced. The CEO was having a great time watching the fun.
The strangest party I ever heard of (and thankfully didn’t have to attend) was held by a CEO who invited all the VPs to his vacation home in Hawaii. (There was no employee party.) The company paid all expenses --- but each VP was supposed to bring a gift . . . for him! This company had a brutal culture, and the employees' nickname for the CEO was “Psycho”.
The VPs worried over what gift to buy and competed among each other for the “perfect” one. The CEO unwrapped all the gifts in front of everyone and made it very obvious which ones he liked and which ones he didn’t. Woe to the VPs whose gifts did not make the cut.
Then there was one company (and yes, this was a few years back) that hired strippers for their party. What does that tell you about the company?
I don’t know why this Christmas party/company culture issue was so interesting to me but it was. What kind of image does your company party reflect? Family oriented? Fun-loving? Zany? Chic and formal?
Final thought: I recognize that there are many unemployed people right now, to whom any kind of a company Christmas party might seem like a dream come true --- even a miserable one. Let’s hope they all enjoy a party next year at a company with a great culture.
Jacque Vilet, President of Vilet International, has over 20 years’ experience in Global Human Resources with major multinationals such as Intel, Texas Instruments and Seagate Technology. She has managed both local/ in-country national and expatriate programs and has been an expatriate twice during her career. Jacque has the following certifications: CCP, GPHR, HCS and SWP as well as a B.S. and M.S in Psychology plus an MBA. She belongs to SHRM, Human Capital Institute and World at Work. Jacque has been a speaker in the U.S., Asia and Europe, and is a regular contributor to various HR and talent management publications.
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